Who says, not in our lifetime?

By the time this magazine reaches you, India's F1 Grand Prix would have been over. It's indeed a moment of pride for all of us. It's a major step forward for Indian motor sport and for sport in general in our country. With young fans aplenty, a growing Formula One interest, courtesy of Karun Chandhok and Force India, a state-of-the-art track, there is no dearth of enthusiasm.

Built at a cost of about $400 million, the new Buddh International Circuit has certainly put to rest perceptions about the capabilities of Indian sport after the chaotic preparations for last year's corruption-hit Commonwealth Games. Critics question the staging of such an elite and costly event. Given the context of a booming economy, high inflation, grinding poverty and severe malnutrition, corruption at all levels, staggering bureaucracy and land battles, is F1 something we need to be proud of? Remember, such aspersions were raised even during Chandrayaan, India's first unmanned mission to moon.

So, what does bringing F1 race mean to India?

The Common Wealth Games, which was solely driven by the Government was filled with corruption scandals and also raised questions on India's ability to deliver. Unlike CWG, the Buddh International Circuit was built by private player-- the Jaypee Group owns it. Hence, the government has to create conducive environment and encourage private players to take more of such initiatives to improve the standard of sports across the board.

F1 is not like Asian Games, the cricket World Cup or a Commonwealth Games which comes to India once in a while. This is an event, which will take place every year and thus is a perfect platform for companies to build their brand on a long-term basis. F1 is not just about a three-day adrenalin burst among F1 lovers, but will boost the Indian economy by $100 million for just the three day event, plus lots more to come, and for all income streams and all demographics.